Game piece and spanner connector game apparatus



n bv m Q mw n" TUS April 2, 1968 R. E. DUNLAP ETAL ME PIECE AHL SIJANNER CONNECTOR GAME APPARA Filed June ll, 1965 INVENTORS I Rc1/ph E'. Dian/0p l Elizabeth H. Dun/0p BY f@ l ATTORNEY :vw @n uhmm wn www wm NM, Nm y United States Patent() 3,376,042 GAME PIECE AND SPANNER CONNECTOR GAME APPARATUS Ralph E. Dunlap and Elizabeth H. Dunlap, both of Meeting House Road, Hockessin, Del. 19707 Filed June 11, 1965, Ser. No. 463,179 Claims. (Cl. 273-130) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Game apparatus having a plurality of game pieces and a plurality of Spanner connectors, at least some of the game pieces dilering from the others by having different indicia, and the Spanner connectors and the game pieces, with the latter in any of a number of possible playing relations, may be interrelated through couplings so that Vthe Spanner connectors as they are progressively associated with each other and the game pieces provide a pattern which play has created.

This invention relates to games and to game apparatus for a game to be played.

An object of the presentinvention is to provide game apparatus with which a game is played with opportunity to construct any of widely varying patterns of play in the field of play.

Another object is the provision of game apparatus for a player of the game to make a structural addition in the game after deliberating and electing the addition such as for best avantage of score.

Another object herein is that of providing apparatus of the character indicated wherein game pieces are captured in thel iield of play by the structural pattern of the play.

A further object iS the provision of apparatus for the character indicated wherein the pattern of play is established and furthered by adding rigid connector units which even may be overlapped one with another for the pattern of play thus to be developed.

Still another object is to provide apparatus of the character indicated wherein the rigid connectors and the game pieces have portions for separable connections to be formed in the pattern of play.

Other objectsin part will be obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

There is thus provided, in accordance with the teaching of the present invention, a game apparatus which comprises a plurality of game pieces each having a playing face and a portion defining a coupling face transversely from the playing face. The game pieces are adapted to be placed in rows in a playing relation wherein the playing i faces of the pieces are outward, therefore being in a iield of play. In the playing relation, the portions of the game pieces on which the aforementioned coupling faces occur most suitably are equidistantly spaced apart on centers in the row and this equidistant spacing may differ in rows extending in different directions. The game pieces used in the playing eld are adequate in number to contribute sufcient interest from the standpoint of offering enough potential plays to sustain interest and challenge in a game. Further, inthe game apparatus, there are a plurality of Spanner connections to construct a pattern of play in the iield of play and each Spanner connector has a rigid spanner portion and a pair of coupling portions transversely of the rigid Spanner portion of the Spanner connector. The

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pair of portions of the connector have coupling faces transversely of the corresponding rigid Spanner portion, for the Spanner connector axially of the pair of portions thereof to mate with the coupling faces of any of various pairs of the game pieces in the aforementioned playing relation and have the pair of portions further to be coupled with others of the Spanner connectors. Each of thespanner connectors furthermore is adapted to be lapped upon another of the Spanner connectors for aligning one of the aforementioned portions of each of the pairs of portions of the Spanner connectors in the lap with the aforementioned portion of any one of various said game pieces in the established playing relation and for the aligned portions of those of the Spanner connectors in the lap to couple with the aligned portion of the game piece. The number of the Spanner connectors available for a game is of course Sulicient to sustain the game and allow the plays available in the playing lield to be accomplished. Where the equidistant spacing between the coupling faces of the game pieces in play in the rows differs in rows extending in different directions, then sub-groups ofthe Spanner connectors suitable for mating with the coupling faces of pairs of the game pieces along the rows are large enoughin vthe numbers of Spanner connectors in the sub-groups for the available plays in the playing eld to be achieved. In the accompanying drawing representing certain preferred embodiments of the present invention:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a game apparatus having game pieces placed in a playing relation to each other and several Spanner connectors played on the game pieces and thus starting a pattern of play;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-Sectional view taken along the line 2 2 in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 4 is a broken away cross-sectional view of a modied form of game apparatus having game pieces placed in a playing relation to each other and a Spanner connector played on the game pieces.

, With reference to FIGURES 1 to 3, inclusive, there is illustrated a game apparatus 10 which includes a plurality of game pieces 11. Each of the game pieces is substantially a rectangular parallelepiped and includes a square top or playing face 12, a square bottom face 13, and rectangular sides or edges 14. Each of the pieces has `a connector portion having an opening 15 and a cylindrical coupling face 16 which extends from the playing face 12 toward the bottom face 13. The central longitudinal axis of the opening 15 is preferably located at the center of `tially up to 9.

At the start of the game, the game pieces 11 are placed in playing relation to each other on a substantially flat Surface 19 so that the playing faces of the several and is a component of a tray having a bottom wall 18 the inside surface of which is substantially planar, Side walls 20, 21, 22, and 23 of the frame are connected to the bottom wall 18 and extend above the surface 19. The plan dimensions of surface 19 are slightly larger than the plan outer dimensions of the several game pieces 11 taken as a unit when the game pieces have been placed in side by side playing relation as shown in FIGURE 1. Thus, for example, there can be eighty-one playing pieces each having sides 14 one inch long and the plan dimensions of surface 19 may in this case be slightly more than nine inches square.

By having the openings located centrally of the playing face of the game pieces 11, any of the side edges 14 of the game pieces can be placed parallel to any of the Side walls 2t), 21, 22, and 23, thereby facilitating random placement of the game pieces. Furthermore, in the embodiment illustrated at FIGURES l to 3, the bottom face 13 is identical to the top face 12; therefore, either the top or bottom face can be used as the playing face, such as by having the same indicia on the top and bottom faces. Opening 15, or a similar female entrance from each of the faces 12 and 13, provides coaxial female portions of the game piece for the game piece to be coupled from the face which then is serving as the playing face.

When the game pieces have been placed in the manner set forth above, the distances between the axes of the openings 15 of adjacent pieces in a transverse line between the walls 20 and 21, or in a transverse line between the walls 22 and 23, will be substantially equal to each other. The distances between the axes of openings 15 of adjacent pieces on a diagonal line will also be equal to each other.

Each participant in the game is issued a set of the spanner connectors adequate in number for play and each Set may include connectors of at least two different lengths as would be useful with the game pieces in the playing relation shown in FIGURE 1. Preferably, there are provided means to identify the sets one from the other, and, in this regard, the sets may for example be characterized by different colors. As will further be seen at FIGURE l, several Spanner connectors 24, 25, 26, and 27 have been separably engaged with several of the game pieces. Thus, for example, if there are four participants in the game and each of the participants has now played one Spanner connector from his set, then the four Spanner connectors which have been played will each be of a different color to associate a particular connector with the participant who has played this connector.

Each of the Spanner connectors comprises a Spanner portion 29 and a pair of portions having coupling faces and constituting first and second coupling components. The Spanner portion is rigid, having a top side 30 and a bottom side 31, and the pair of portions for coupling include the spaced projections 28 which extend in substantially like directions transversely of the rigid Spanner portion 29 from a common side of the Spanner portion. Each of the projections 28 more particularly has a top end 32 which preferably is fiush and integral with the rigid spanner portion 29, and has a bottom end 33 which is spaced from the bottom Side 31 of the rigid Spanner portion. The bottom end 33 of the projection is small enough for the coupling face thereof to fit into any of the openings 15 in the game pieces 11 so that the projection is axially separably engaged with the coupling face of the game piece within the opening in the game piece.

The pair of projections 28 on a Spanner connector are spaced on their center axes from each other substantially the same distance as the distance between the center axes of openings 15 of a pair of game pieces 11 at the ends of a series of adjacent pieces when the game pieces have been placed in relation to each other for a game to be played. If, for example, it is desired to provide a Spanner connector which spans three of the game pieces 11 in a row which is perpendicular to walls 20 and 21 of the holding frame 17 or in a row which is perpendicular to the walls 22 and 23, then the distance provided between the projections 28 is twice the distance between openings 15 of adjacent game pieces on this row.

The Spanner connectors 26 and 27 illustrated at FIG- URE 1 are of substantially the same construction as the Spanner connectors 24 and 25 except that the length of the rigid Spanner portion 29 and the distance between the pair of projections 28 on the connectors 26 and 27 are greater so that the Spanner connectors 26 and 27 are capable of Spanning and mating with game pieces in the rows which are diagonal or oblique to the frame 17.

The Spanner portion 29 of each Spanner connector is sufficiently rigid for this rigidity to insure simultaneous axial alignment between the pair of connector portions on a Spanner connector and respective connector portions on a pair of game pieces to be captured by the connector in the playing relation of the game pieces 11. The Spanner connectors and game pieces described herein are made from any suitable material or materials such as resin, wood, metal or the like and of course the connector portion of the game piece may be an integral portion of the game piece body or be added by later afixation to the game piece body and the connector components of the Spanner connector may be integral with the rigid Spanner portion or be added to the latter portion by later affixation. Game pieces and Spanner connectors each molded as a unit are preferred.

An additional feature is importantly provided which permits overlap and interconnection between two or more of the Spanner connectors. This feature enables a game piece 11 to be re-captured by one or more of the participants in the game. Thus, in the embodiment of FIG- URES 1 to 3, each of the projections 28 while being frusto-conical in shape is also hollow interiorly of a side wall 34 of the projection. This side wall converges toward the bottom end 33 of the projection. Each projection therefore is open at the top and the hollow, designated 35, extends entrantly from the top side 30 of the rigid connector portion toward the bottom end 33 of the projection and has a frusto-conical coupling face which iS coaxial with the external coupling face of the projection. The hollow 35 is of Sufiicient diameter at the top to permit entry of the bottom end 33 of a projection 28 of another of the Spanner connectors into the hollow. AS Seen at FIGURE 2, the hollow 35 is Sufliciently large so that when a first Spanner connector 24 has been played, the bottom end of a projection 28 on a second connector 25 positioned in the hollow 35 of a projection 28 of the first connector 24 will extend into the same game piece opening 15 accommodating the projection of the first Spanner connector 24. Thus, the Side wall 16 of the same game piece opening 15 surrounds at least a portion of the nested projections 28 of each of the first and Second connectors 24 and 25 respectively. This is preferred in that a second projection on the Second connecting member 25 spaced from lthe one which is nested will thereby easily reach the opening 15 in another game piece 11.

Still further means in each Spanner connector are afforded for interconnecting two or more of the Spanner connectors in the embodiment of FIGURES 1 to 3. Thus, most simply, there is a -third coupling component comprising a circular aperture 36 through the rigid Spanner portion 29 of each Spanner connector. The center axis of the aperture 36 intersects a longitudinal line joining the axes of the pair of projections 28 and is parallel to and spaced equidistantly from these axes. The rigid Spanner portion of each Spanner connector thus defines a coupling surface in the related aperture 36. As illustrated at FIGURE 3, when Spanner connector 26 has been played, the aperture 36 will be axially aligned with the opening 15 of the middle one of the game pieces 11 spanned by the Spanner connector 26. A second Spanner connector 27 can then be played to overlap the Spanner connector 26, with a corresponding projection 28 extending through the aperture 36 and in axial alignment with opening 15 of the middle one of the game pieces 11.

In the embodiment illustrated at FIGURE 4, openings in game pieces hereinbefore described are omitted and, instead, each of a plurality of game pieces 37 has a projection 38 extending outwardly from and substantially perpendicular to the playing face 39. The game pieces 37 are disposed in rows as already described with reference to FIGURES 1 to 3. Each of a plurality of the spanner connectors 40, instead of having projections, has a pair of axially parallel openings 41 through the rigid Spanner portion 42 and the openings are spaced on centers from each other substantially the same distance apart as the distance between centers of the projections 38 on the game pieces, when the game pieces are in playing relation on a substantially liat surface 43 and thus have the projections 38 axially paralleljThe spanner connectors, as illustrated in this latter ligure, are adapted to span between only two game pieces; however, it will clearly be understood that similar Such Spanner connectors, but elongated to accomplish greater spans, are readily provided in accordance with the invention, the rigid'spanner portion having additionally an intermediate aperture to receive the projection 38 of each intermediate game piece 37 covered by the span. Projections 38 of the game pieces, furthermore, are long enough for one of the spanner connectors 40 to be overlapped by another of the spanner connectors 40 for the overlapping portions of these Spanner connectors to be in a compound separable coupling with t-he projection 38 through the overlap.

While considerable advantage is had with gaine pieces which are square in plan and which have connector portions located at the center of the playing face, it will be understood that game pieces still in accordance with the practice of this invention may be of other forms such as rectangular or triangular.

As many possible embodiments of the invention may be made land as many possible changes may be made in the embodiments herein set forth, it will be distinctly understood that all matter described herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not as a` limitation.

We claim: l

1. Game apparatus, comprising, a plurality of gaine pieces each having a playing face and a coupling portion accessible from outside said playing face, saidgame pieces being disposable in a playing relation wherein said game pieces are in rows and said playing faces are exposed outwardly, at least some of said game pieces differing from others of said game pieces by having different indicia, and a plurality of spanner connectors each including a rigid spanner portion and rst, second, and third coupling components interconnected by said rigid spanner portion, said iirst coupling component of any one of said spanner connectors and said third coupling component of any other one of said spannerconnectors being male and female engageable with one another, said first coupling components being male and female engageable in pairs with any one of said game piece coupling portions and said Second coupling components being male and female engageable in pairs with any one of said gaine piece coupling portions to permit useof said spanner connectors in series, and said rst and second coupling components of the spanner connector and said coupling portions of any one of various pairs of said gaine pieces being male and female engageable to enable t-he spanner connector to couple the pair of game pieces selected and said third coupling component to be substantially axially in alignment with the coupling portion of another game piece between said selected pair of pieces upon said game pieces being in Said playing relation.

2. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein Said game piece coupling portions are geometrically centrally situated with reference to the sides of said game pieces and said game pieces in said playing relation are assembled against one another sidewise for disposing said coupling portions equidistantly spaced apart in each of said rows by a distance differing in rows extending in different directions, and groups of said spanner connectors `respectively have said first, second, and. third coupling said first and second coupling components in each of said spanner connectors are each coaxially male and female being entrantly female on the same side of the spanner connector and projecting male on the opposite side of the spanner connector to enable either of said first coupling components of a pair of said spanner connectors to mate male separably with the other of said iirst coupling components and either of said second coupling components of a pair of said spanner connectors to mate male separably with the other of said pair of second coupling components.

5. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said third coupling component of each of saidspanner connectors is iii an intermediate position between said irst and second coupling components of the spanner connector and, with said first and second coupling components of the spanner connector separably connected with said coupling portions of a pair of said game pieces in said playing relation, said third coupling portion of the spanner connector is substantially axially aligned with said coupling portion of another of said game pieces in said playing relation and in the same row as said pair 0f game pieces.

6. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said third coupling portion of each of said spanner connectors comprises an opening communicating with both sides of the spanner connector.

7. Game apparatus, comprising a plurality of game pieces each having a playing face and a coupling portion accessible from outside said playing face, at least some of said game pieces differing from others of said game pieces by having different indicia, and a plurality of Spanner connectors each including a rigid spanner portion and a pair of coupling components interconnected by said rigid spanner portion, said coupling components being male and female engageable one with another for `placing the related said spanner connectors in series, and

said pair of coupling components of the spanner connector and said coupling portions of any one of various pairs of said game pieces being male and female engageable to enable the spanner connector to couple the pair of game pieces selected, said gaine pieces being disposable in a playing relation wherein said pieces are in rows and said playing faces are exposed outwardly.

8. Gaine apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said game piece coupling portions are geometrically centrally situated with reference to the sides of said game pieces and said game pieces in said playing relation are assembled against one another sidewise for disposing said coupling portions equidistantly spaced apart in each of said rows by a distance differing in rows extending in diierent directions, and groups of said spanner connectors respectively have said pairs of coupling components thereof equidistantly spaced apart in each of said groups by a distance differing with the group and equal in the group to the distance between pairs of said coupling portions of said game pieces in at least one of said rows.

9. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein a said coupling component of each said Spanner connector is coaxially male and female on opposite sides of the Spanner connector, to enable one of a pair of said Spanner connectors to mate male separably with the other of said coupling components in Said pair, with the rigid Spanner portions overlapping.

10. Game apparatus aS set forth in claim 8, wherein Said pair of coupling components of the Spanner connector are each coaxially male and female being entrantly female on the same side of the Spanner connector and projecting male on the opposite side of the Spanner connector, whereby each of said coupling components of said Spanner connectors is selectively either male to female engageable or female to male engageable with reference to another of said coupling components of another of said Spanner connectors.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1895 Coen 273-130 8/1905 Darius 273-134 X 12/1915 Maris 273-131 6/1920 Anderson 273-130 10/1924 Latz 273-137 1/1956 Foster 273-131 6/1957 ONeill 273-134 3/1967 Hardesty et al 273-134 FOREIGN PATENTS 8/ 1951 France. 6/1953 France. 7/ 1924 Germany. 8/ 1933 Germany.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

